69 million page views

The Aisha Prophecy

Reader comment on item: Bibliography – My Writings on Moderate Muslims
in response to reader comment: The Aisha Prophecy

Submitted by Rada (United States), Jul 30, 2007 at 11:24

Is Aisha, the warrior wife of the Prophet (pbuh,) to be reborn as the champion of Muslim women?
Is she the long awaited Mahdi, but a female Mahdi?
Is she…well…a Muslim version of Joan of Arc?
Is she the much needed Muslim version of a Martin Luther?
Has it already happened?
Is she already here?

Here's what I've been able to find out.
It's an early 12th century prophecy by a Berber chieftain and mystic named Muhammed ibn Tumart. It's only recently been discovered by a scholar visiting Morocco on a Fulbright grant. Has it been suppressed all this time or simply lost in the archives of the Hassan Mosque in Rabat? No one's sure.

Is the document genuine? Yes. No question. It's written on vellum in the same hand as many other extant writings of ibn Tumart. Does it really refer to that Aisha, the favorite wife of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) even though it does not say her name? Again, no question. It refers to her as The Lady of the Camel after The Battle of the Camel in which she led an army against those who tried to corrupt her husband's teachings.

Here is the text of the prophecy.

"The Lady of the Camel will come, born again, to show men that they have fallen into error. She comes to raise up the women of Islam. She comes to teach and she comes to bring justice. It is not revealed when, but she will come. She will be of the East, but turn your eyes to the West because that is where her banner will unfurl. She will have grown up among you, dressed in white, pure of heart, until the day when she reaches full womanhood. The flame-haired angel, Qaila, sent to guide her and protect her, will, on that day, reveal to her that she is the Lady of the Camel reborn. She will know that it is true and she will come. She will speak to all nations with words writ on wind. Her words will ride the lightning. They will be as shooting stars. And the angel, Qaila, will be with her, sword in hand. Woe to those who would deny the truth of her words. Woe to those who would silence her. Woe to those who would slay her. The angel, Qaila, will send them to hell."

Several more "Woe to those" admonitions were found in the same sheaf, but these seem to have been added later, perhaps by one of ibn Tumart's wives. They reflect a lot of anger over how the rights of women, as championed by the Prophet (pbuh) himself, had been chipped away in the decades after his death. Ibn Tumart, by the way, was very much a protector of those rights. As was Aisha in life.

Note some of the language of the prophecy. It almost seems to foretell the Internet.
"She will speak to all nations with words writ on wind. They will ride the lightning. They will be as shooting stars." Maybe the internet is all she's been waiting for. Or maybe not. But it's fun to wonder. Look how this thing is spreading already.

The angel Qaila is a new one. No one's been able to find any reference to her elsewhere. Is Qaila female? One suspects so. One likes to hope so. But the text isn't clear.

At least one blogger has claimed that she's already come and that her "handmaidens" are now gathering around her. True? Maybe not. But who knows? Another blogger, however, has made a good point. She's written, "If it isn't true, it ought to be true.
Maybe it will take the women of Islam to stand up with one voice and end all this madness."

"The women of Islam?" Amend that. My Christian and Jewish friends have commented as well. They say that this is a feminist issue that goes well beyond any religious belief.

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (22) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Moderate Islam [28 words]Dr Saradindu MukherjiJul 27, 2011 09:37187733
2Question for Moderate Muslims [390 words]DillahSep 24, 2010 01:54178646
2Moderate Muslims Or Islamists Who The Heck Knows [287 words]steve jaubertSep 12, 2010 16:29178134
Identification of the Prophesied Imam Mahdi [90 words]AkyJun 6, 2008 22:23131343
doesn't it go both ways? [283 words]justmeMay 14, 2008 09:25128632
1USA's Fault? [199 words]Vlad Tepes DraculSep 15, 2008 17:32128632
I said both ways...BOTH [447 words]justmeSep 17, 2008 04:18128632
The Aisha Prophecy [59 words]Rada KhouryFeb 12, 2006 13:2435213
The Aisha Prophecy [52 words]ReginaFeb 12, 2006 23:0335213
The Aisha Prophecy [68 words]Mike RamirezJun 19, 2007 19:5635213
Aisha Prophecy Part 2 [64 words]Mike RamirezJun 19, 2007 20:0335213
The Aisha Prophecy [649 words]RadaJul 30, 2007 11:2435213
Aisha [54 words]shahlaAug 4, 2007 10:0935213
Should be "The Fatima Prophecy" ? [226 words]Mike RamirezAug 5, 2007 16:0435213
Aisha saw it all [40 words]shahlaAug 14, 2007 11:2535213
Where are the feminists? [155 words]RadaSep 10, 2007 09:1335213
Aisha posters in Bahrain [110 words]Phil BryantOct 26, 2007 08:3635213
Waiting for Aisha [36 words]MaryamNov 20, 2007 09:1635213
Way overdue [46 words]DaniDec 3, 2007 13:5135213
2Allah knows best [122 words]RaziaMar 10, 2008 07:0435213
Aisha [15 words]sateenMar 28, 2009 16:5335213
where to buy? [26 words]ronDec 21, 2009 16:2535213

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)